Discerning Counterfeit Spirits
By Kathy DeGraw
As we approach the end days will we be deceived, or will we be able to discern the counterfeit spirits operating among us?
In everything we do we should be testing the spirits and discerning the spiritual atmosphere.
I have been in a couple of churches where the message preached was good, the worship was awesome, and prophecy went forth, however, in both churches I discovered on subsequent visits that they weren’t operating according to Scriptures, didn’t believe in the Trinity, and were a false religion practicing witchcraft.
As Christians we can be so eager to find the right thing, or a good thing, that without testing and discerning what is going on we are really finding the wrong thing and a bad thing.
Years ago, I was invited to a church to preach where the pastor was practicing witchcraft and marrying people to the spirit. I was puzzled to understand why he would invite a deliverance minister to speak at his church when he was operating under the influence of a sentinel spirit.
It was the perfect cover-up for his false teachings to bring in a deliverance minister. Little did he know that after hearing about the church-wide marriage ceremony to the Spirit they just had that I would take that information and expose the false teachings and preach from his very pulpit the marriage spoken of in the Bible is to the Lamb, Jesus Christ, not a spirit, and not the Holy Spirit.
The deception was that they were marrying the Holy Spirit, but it was a spirit. I even witnessed printed marriage certificates, and they all brought their best physical and monetary gifts to the spirit. He attempted to discredit me as a false prophet one night, but it didn’t matter to me. I had already exposed the truth and cut chains and strongholds in the spiritual realm over the people’s lives in the church that had been deceived.
Sentinel Spirits Impersonate the Holy Spirit
What was in operation in this church, the pastor and the people, is what is identified as a sentinel spirit. A sentinel spirit is a demonic spirit that counterfeits and impersonates the Holy Spirit. The Bible speaks of being deceived, and people having to put up with such deception in 2 Corinthians 11:3-4:
But I fear that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve through his trickery, so your minds might be led astray from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit, which you have not received, or another gospel, which you have not accepted, you might submit to it readily enough.
Paul had taught of one husband, Jesus Christ, who is portrayed as the groom with the church being his bride.
But the people in Corinth were in great danger of being deceived and led astray with a distorted message. Today, many are also being led astray by a distorted message and a counterfeit spirit attacking them.
A sentinel spirit operates by counterfeiting the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Have you ever heard a message and thought to yourself how did the teacher or pastor get that out of Scripture?
We aim to get a deep teaching but when we can’t find that deep teaching in Scripture we are in trouble. We need to be careful of prophets who feel they have a word from the Lord and prophetically speak, but we can’t verify it anywhere in Scripture.
Sentinel spirits enter through false teaching. When we don’t stay in the Word of God or test the message preachers are preaching, it’s an open door to demonic spirits.
When we idolize a teacher or leader, believing every word they say without testing it to the Scriptures, this leads to acceptance of false teachings. When we read 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 it warns us about “if you receive another spirit.” It tells us that we can receive false teachings, false spirits.
Furthermore, Scripture states we “submit to it,” and in the New King James Version it says, “you may well put up with it!” We have a part to play in annihilating this spirit from our lives.
Have you felt you haven’t been connected to the Holy Spirit or something is spiritually off? Ask the Lord to help you discern if you have sat under false teaching or received a spirit that is not of the Lord. Did someone pray over you or release false prophetic words into your life, and you didn’t have peace afterward or have been unsettled since the words were released into your life?
In the end times, which we are living in, we will be deceived. False teachers will arise.
What are we doing as Christians to protect ourselves from allowing false teachings and demonic spirits to enter us? Sentinel spirits can enter us by receiving false teaching and being deceived. It’s our responsibility to guard our soul and protect our spirit man.
Receive Deliverance
If a sentinel spirit has attacked you or someone you know you can receive deliverance from this false spirit.
Repent of any false teachings you receive.
Renounce any prayers or prophetic words spoken over you where you felt uneasy.
Rebuke the enemy from activating in your life.
Remove any unhealthy desire for demonic fascination.
Cast out the demonic spirit of sentinel.
The sentinel spirit is a strongman spirit and often puts up resistance when trying to be expelled, but keep trying and keep speaking out, “Sentinel spirit, I break agreement with you, and I command you to get out in Jesus’ name.”
Receive more deliverance and learn about spiritual warfare and the powers of darkness through my books, Discerning and Defeating the Works of Satan and Identity Invasion.
Kathy DeGraw is a prophetic spiritual warfare strategist releasing the love and power of God to ignite and activate people, release prophetic destinies and deliver people from the bondage of the enemy. She is the founder of Kathy DeGraw Ministries and Be Love Outreach. She is the author of several books, including Speak Out, Discerning and Destroying the Works of Satan, Identity Invasion, Who is Speaking? and Warfare Declarations. You can connect with Kathy on Facebook, facebook.com/kathydegraw or visit www.degrawministries.org.
